Perhaps the tremendous shock I had suffered tonight was the reason, but after getting into the taxi, my nerves finally began to relax. My mind felt heavy and hazy, almost dozing off in the cab. It wasn't until a little past 4 a.m. that the taxi finally arrived at the entrance to Antique Street, where the road was too narrow for the car to enter, so the driver had to stop at the entrance.
This street is considered an old town area in Taiyuan, filled with fortune-tellers and dealers in cultural playthings and calligraphy paintings, earning it the name "Antique Street." Of course, this is the nicer appellation; most people prefer to call it "Shamans' Street."
After paying the fare, I got out of the taxi with my weary body. I didn't know why I suddenly felt so exhausted; I could only console myself with the thought that it was due to the endless strange occurrences throughout the night.
At this time, naturally, there weren't many pedestrians on the street. Dragging my heavy body, hunched over, and making multiple turns through the alley, I could see a person standing at the entrance of my family's shop from afar. Because it was still dark, I could only see a vague outline of the person, but I immediately assumed from the height and build—it was Uncle Li. I didn't expect that he would come over in the middle of the night after hearing that I had encountered trouble.
A sense of long-lost warmth and emotion welled up in my heart. Since my father's passing, I had been living alone in this world, experiencing the cold and warmth of life. Only Uncle Li truly cared for and supported me.
I quickened my pace to greet him: "Uncle, why didn't you wait inside after unlocking the door?"
Maybe I saw it wrong, but after I asked my question, Uncle Li's face clearly stiffened for a moment, and then he awkwardly forced a smile: "Forgot the keys. Hurry up and open the door, let's go inside and talk."
Maybe it was because I had woken him up in the middle of the night that Uncle Li's voice sounded hoarse and a bit different from usual.
At that moment, I had some doubts. Uncle Li was a very meticulous person. For the past six months since my father's passing, he had managed the shop well. How could he make such a basic mistake as forgetting the keys?
But this thought was just a fleeting moment inside my head, and I did not probe further. With an "Okay," I turned to unlock the door.
Suddenly, without warning, a series of bizarre laughter resounded behind me, sounding like the coarse call of a drake, rough and dry.
My slightly bent back instantly straightened up, and I turned around, only to see Uncle Li behind me. "Uncle, did you just laugh?" I asked.
Uncle Li shook his head with no expression on his face, "No."
Had I misheard?
I quietly muttered to myself, confused, and turned around again.
The laughter sounded once more behind me!
This time I heard it clearly, and I quickly turned back to ask Uncle Li: "Are you sure you didn't hear someone laughing?"
"No."
Uncle Li shook his head again, urging me, "Hurry up and open the door. Standing outside after encountering such an incident on this late night isn't seeking discomfort, is it?"
At that moment, I felt the hairs on my neck stand up. The laughter I'd heard was real, definitely not an illusion. Could it be that the entity from the alley that had slapped my shoulder had followed me here?
Without further investigation, I hurriedly opened the door and entered the shop. Uncle Li had said that there was something within the shop that kept guard and that, unless I had opened the door myself, generally nothing else could get in. With that in mind, I felt a little more settled inside, and because of my heavy and tired body, I simply found a place to sit before asking Uncle Li when we would go find someone to solve my problems.
After being nervous and anxious all night, I still had no idea what had been tormenting me. Fear of the unknown was nearly driving me to the brink of collapse. I didn't want to endure this any longer; I was desperate to resolve the issue and find a way to get rid of the Bai Pi Dao.
"What's the hurry? Where are we supposed to find someone at this time? Let's wait a bit longer; I'll take you there once the person I know opens their business," Uncle Li replied, clearly becoming agitated after entering the house, pacing back and forth in the room. And for some reason, even when he occasionally looked at me, he only seemed to be looking behind me, occasionally blinking, a complete deviation from his usual composed style of doing things.
But I didn't give it much thought. With everything that had happened, my nerves were already frayed; how could I possibly focus on these details?
Having been tormented for most of the night, I was dead tired, but I knew it wasn't time to sleep yet. Bored, I took out my phone and entered the game, ready to play a few rounds.
As the game loaded and the phone screen went black, the reflection of Uncle Li, who was standing opposite me, appeared on it. I noticed something odd about Uncle Li's reflection; his shadow seemed to be fluctuating as if enveloped and rising with something. I couldn't help but lean in close to the screen for a better look, and that's when I was taken aback.
The reflection of Uncle Li on the phone screen was surrounded by smoke-like substance.
And... he was laughing!!!
Yes, Uncle Li was indeed laughing—a pointedly eerie laugh, with his mouth so widely agape, almost reaching his ears as if his mouth had been horizontally slit open, exposing all his teeth in a terrifying and fierce manner!
The strange cackling laughter sounded once again.
Goosebumps covered my body. Could it be... the laughter outside earlier had been Uncle Li?
Something was off!!
Uncle Li was acting too out of character today, completely different from his usual demeanor!!!
My scalp tingled, and my already heavy body trembled slightly. It took quite a while for me to muster the courage to look up at Uncle Li again.
Uncle Li stood in front of me, still expressionless, with no smile to be seen on his face?
I was engulfed in inexplicable fear.
Thump, thump!
Suddenly, the sound of knocking came from outside the door.
I jolted and immediately stood up: "I'll go to open the door!"
"You can't open it!"
Uncle Li's face showed a trace of annoyance: "After all the incidents you've encountered today, you cannot open a door being knocked at in the middle of the night!"
I didn't give a damn whether the door should be opened or not; anything was better than staying with him!!
I cursed inwardly. Tonight's Uncle Li was too peculiar, not at all like the Uncle Li I knew. I couldn't risk staying put, and decided to seize the opportunity to run away while opening the door. With a burst of energy, I mustered the strength I had left in my body, took a brisk step, and flung the door open with a crash.
Outside stood a figure shrouded in a cloak, face hidden behind a black veil, a strange costume that made it impossible to discern their features, even their gender.
"You, come with me!"
The mysterious person pointed at Uncle Li, their voice quite pleasant, a woman's voice though slightly cold.
I found the voice eerily familiar, yet I couldn't recall where I had heard it before.
Uncle Li inside the room visibly looked unhappy, his mouth moved as if to say something, but ultimately he swallowed his words and dejectedly walked out.
"Be careful."
The mysterious woman seemed to take one last look behind me, then said three words to me, turned around, and walked away with Uncle Li.
I didn't know what she was warning me to be careful about, but I did feel relieved. I had a hunch that Uncle Li, who had been in the same room with me, may not have been the Uncle Li I knew.
After closing the door behind them, I sat down on the sofa, feeling somewhat powerless, my mind fixated on all that had transpired today. Now, I was somewhat confused by all the eerie events that had occurred, clutching the Bai Pi Dao in my arms. Despite its ominous associations, the sword, once a weapon that had taken countless lives, did offer me some consolation at the moment.
So, I sat there with my eyes wide open until about 4:30 a.m. when I suddenly heard "clicking" noises from outside. Then the door opened, and there was Uncle Li—who had just left with that mysterious woman—returning back, looking exhausted!
I sprang to my feet, scrutinizing Uncle Li closely for a while before my anxious heart gradually calmed down.
This Uncle Li... he should be the Uncle Li I knew.
The traits about him were familiar to me. His face was friendly, always filled with wrinkles friendly, and most importantly, he had just opened the door himself, meaning he had a key, unlike the one earlier!
However, it puzzled me who or what I had just encountered before.
A slight chill settled in my heart.
...